Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-08-26
THE MIND CURE.
Radical Difference I'm the Theories OF
Writers Upon the subject.

1t is interesting, says The New York
Graphic, to compare two recent arti-
cles on the healing art-Dr. Buckley
on mind Cure" and Mss G. +. Gordon
Cummings on Strange Medicines ="
DIR. Buckley's article relates to one OF
the very latest popular crazes. Miss
Cumming tells of cures by broths like
that brewed by the witches in mo.
Beth" and by powdered human bones
and especially by powder from ground
up mumnies, -one of the most popular
OF middle age medicines. DR.. Buckley
tells of people in our midst above the
average Intelligence who contend that
all suffering is unnecessary. and who
announce the possibility Of even escap-
ing death. They contend that We can
exist without food. and that poisons
would be IA harmless as milk II we be-
cal theories seems the nearer lunaoyp
Yet the mind-curers are not only peo-
who, however badly balanced, are above
the average intelligence, but their
practice is among the educated classes.
Their ambitious. metaphysical jargon
does not attract the simple and Hitter
ate. As DR.. Buckley says. their suo-
cess in often remarkable, despite the
fact that there is not the most casual
relation" between their cures and their
theories. They probably exercise IN
influence of a hypnotic character which
their jargon does not affect one way or
the other; and then too much of their
treatment is for things over which the
mag nation exercises all but supreme
power. The great Disadvantage OF
their metaphysics is that it forces them
logically TO make absurd claims that
they cannot sustain, and which consc-
quently push into the realm of Charla-
tantry what ought to be merely m
tied but useful hypnotic treatment
There are any number of people
making living out of the mind cure
in New York. despite the fact that any
one who wanted to could have them
arrested on the very serious charge OF
illegally practicing medicine. OF course
they would claim that they have moth
ing to do with the practice of medicine,
but as long as they are taking money
for healing people it would make a
very pretty case. Most of the mind
,urers are women. however, and some
IF them ladies. and as long rs they can
10 so little harm no one is likely TO d j.
urb them. 1t takes very little trouble
20 become mind-curer. All Of
hem teach the art or science or
whatever they call it and it only takes
.wenty lessons or so TO be able TO prac-
ice it, 80 that one would think that
every man might soon become his own
mind curer, but everyone 10 not sue
,essful either in doing so or in making
himself or others believe that he v sue
,essful in doing what be wants to, and
10 comes about a survival of the tttest
n the business. Tho Observes"
Knows one Of the largest praot tioners
n the field; she 10 a handsome, we'll
bred woman. with considerable sense
If humor. and her accounts Of her pa
tents are very funny.
1t Is one Of the peculiaritiss Of the
mind-cure that it cures everything from
Or ginal sin to corns, and Mrs. B. has
As many patients come TO her for all
ments not phys cal as for those that
are. Women come TO DO made TO love
their husbands, and men come for the
patients are by no means all silly
= to be kept from fretting
about their business; children are sent
to have their tempers improved and
to have their appetites
changed. 1t is easy to see that in all
such cases as these the attitude Of seek.
ing cure, not TO mention the fact OF
paying for it, does a great deal to pro-
iuce it, and this sort of influence may
be an excellent thing.
A prominent physician said the other
day that if only hypochondriacs could
be gotten to patronize the mnd-cure it
would be the greatest blessing both for
them and their poor, WORKOUT doctors
in the world, for hypochondria is prac-
tically banIshed by the mind-curists Ms
n mere preliminary to treatment; but
this doctor said that so far as he could
learn no professional invalids of the
class, whose invalidism constitutes
their only reason for being, could be
persuaded to try system whose first
requirement Is that the patient shall
cease to talk about his ailments Their
practice on this point ough! to give
hint to the regular physicians. Why
in the name of mercy to mankind can'i
they adopt enough Of nind-cure phil.